Odeen Ishmael’s Published Books

THE MAGIC POT

THE MAGIC POT: Nansi Stories From The Caribbean comprises a collection of popular folk stories from Guyana and other countries of the Caribbean region. The starring character in all of them is Nansi whose exploits form part of the folklore of these countries. “Nansi”, the starring character in all the stories, is also popularly known as “Anansi”. But in Guyana and some other Caribbean countries, Nansi, the shortened form of this name, is usually preferred.

Guyana Legends

Very little is known of Amerindian history in Guyana before the arrival of European settlers in the early seventeenth century and, actually, no written form of their languages existed until about seventy years ago. Indeed, much of the history of the Amerindian people is based on oral traditions which are not quite clear because the periods when important events occurred are difficult to place. Still, native oral traditions are very rich in folk stories of the ancestral heroes and heroines of these indigenous people. Odeen Ishmael compiles these into a collection of stories, Guyana Legends.

The Guyana Story

“By knowing about our past, we will be in a better position to understand and appreciate the present.” –Odeen Ishmael

Author Odeen Ishmael presents the progression of Guyana history and development through his valuable publication, The Guyana Story.
It features the earliest times to Independence, tracing the country’s history from thousands of years ago when the first Amerindian groups began their settlement in the Guyana territory.
Ishmael hopes the Guyanese people will continue conduct and document further research into various aspects of Guyanese history and find out the rich heritage of their country.

The Trail of Diplomacy

Odeen Ishmael’s contribution to international diplomacy and South American history comes in the form of a book on the Guyana-Venezuela border issue that started in 1840. Guyana today is much less powerful than its neighbor Venezuela, but not at the time of the boundary dispute. Guyana was then British Guiana, a colonial territory of England, today’s United Kingdom. In The Trail of Diplomacy, Dr. Ishmael shows the behind the scenes diplomatic negotiations, the historical thrill of official documents and how they translate into history, and even intrigue on the international level, one that involved not only Venezuela, Guyana and the United Kingdom, but also the United States during the then penultimate arbitration in 1899.

The Trail of Diplomacy - Volume Two

In the second volume of his three-part documentary, The Trail of Diplomacy, he continues the history of the Guyana-Venezuela border issue from where Volume One left off. Ishmael’s recently released book describes Venezuela’s dissatisfaction over the internationally arbitrated boundary award of 1899, subsequently leading to that country unilaterally declaring it in 1962 as being “null and void.”

The Trail of Diplomacy - Volume Three

The Trail of Diplomacy -- Volume Three is the third of a three-part documentary, continues the history of the Guyana-Venezuela border issue from where Volume Two left off. It deals with the involvement of the office of the secretary general of United Nations ever since the termination of the Protocol of Port of Spain in 1982 in the efforts to settle the controversy. While this process did not make any progress as was anticipated, the two countries, despite some intermittent setbacks, maintained a generally cordial relationship that saw an advance in trade relations and political cooperation. The volume also examines the political and economic relations between Guyana and Venezuela since 1982 and the diplomatic activities they undertook to win international support for their respective positions. The author’s own diplomatic involvement in the issue is also highlighted.